Church and Emperor: An Ethiopian Crucifixion
6 March – 5 May 2008
Room 3
Exhibition closed
To celebrate the first Easter of the new Ethiopian millennium,
this display focuses on a recently conserved painting originating
from Tigray in northern Ethiopia.
The painting was made in the mid-19th century for the Church of
The Saviour of the World at Adwa. It was donated to the Museum in
1893 by James Theodore Bent, but has never before been on public
display.
This unique painting tells multiple stories, with layered
meanings, about Church and Empire in 19th-century Ethiopia.
The image of the crucifixion of Christ is at its centre, but the
scenes around the edge of the painting explore a turbulent period
of Ethiopian history, including the life story of Bishop Selama,
head of the Ethiopian Church from 1841 to 1867 and a key political
and religious figure of the time.
The painting follows many Ethiopian artistic traditions, both in
style and composition.
By layering historical narratives with messages of Holy
Scripture, it communicates complex ideas of faith and history
through image rather than word. It provides insight into the
complex relationship between church and state and allows a greater
understanding of modern Ethiopian history.
Image: Detail of The Crucifixion of
Jesus Christ and the life of Bishop Selama, painting by an
unknown artist, around AD 1855. From Tigray, Ethiopia